News: 2010 Press Release

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner announced today that former insurance agent Ghassan Ibrahim, 47, of Stockton, pled no contest to one count of felony insurance fraud and one felony count of forgery on June 24, 2010 for enrolling senior citizens in health plans for the sole purpose of securing commissions.

Ibrahim was sentenced to 120 days in jail, five years probation, and was ordered to pay $9,500 in restitution to his victims.

"Scamming seniors is a particularly detestable crime, and any insurance agent or broker who attempts it will be arrested and brought to justice," said Commissioner Poizner.

From approximately November 2006 to October 2008, Ibrahim forged the signatures of a number of senior citizens on Medicare Advantage health plan applications for the purpose of securing a commission.

Ibrahim was arrested by San Joaquin County authorities on October 3, 2009. Ibrahim fled to Syria to avoid prosecution and a warrant was issued for his arrest. On June 1, 2010, Ibrahim was found to have re-entered the United States and was arrested in Stockton by California Department of Insurance Investigators, with the assistance of the Stockton Police Department.

Ibrahim was a licensed insurance agent in the State of California from February 1989 until January 2010, when his license was revoked.

Commissioner Poizner oversees sixteen CDI Enforcement Branch regional offices throughout the state. Nearly 2,800 insurance fraud-related arrests have been made by CDI since Commissioner Poizner took office in 2007 - more arrests than have been made during any other three year period, under any previous insurance commissioner.